October 28, 2008

I am sorry to inform all of you that J. has been in the hospital! He had an accident and could not walk. He is slowly recovering and asked me to apologize for his absence. He will be back hopefully soon. He will add an article and review the comments. Thank you for all the kind and supporting private comments. And he said to mention that his hotmail account was shut down for not signing in so if you did email him then please leave you comment here as a comment. Thanks!

July 25, 2008

WASHINGTON, July 23 /Christian Newswire/ — The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that the city council of Fredericksburg, Virginia had proper authority to require “non-sectarian” prayer content and exclude council-member Rev. Hashmel Turner from the prayer rotation because he prayed “in Jesus’ name.”
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, writing the decision, said: “The restriction that prayers be nonsectarian in nature is designed to make the prayers accessible to people who come from a variety of backgrounds, not to exclude or disparage a particular faith.”

Ironically, she admitted Turner was excluded from participating solely because of the Christian content of his prayer.

A full text copy of the decision, with added commentary by Chaplain Klingenschmitt is here: http://www.PrayInJesusName.org/Frenzy13/AgainstOconnor .pdf
Gordon James Klingenschmitt, the former Navy chaplain who faced court-martial for praying “in Jesus name” in uniform (but won the victory in Congress for other chaplains), defended Rev. Hashmel Turner:

“The Fredericksburg government violated everybody’s rights by establishing a non-sectarian religion, and requiring all prayers conform, or face punishment of exclusion. Justice O’Connor showed her liberal colors today, by declaring the word ‘Jesus’ as illegal religious speech, which can be banned by any council who wishes to ignore the First Amendment as she did. Councilman Rev. Hashmel Turner should run for mayor, fire the other council-members, and re-write the prayer policy. And if he appeals to the Supreme Court, I pray he will win, in Jesus’ name.”
For media interviews, call:
Chaplain Klingenschmitt 719-360-5132 cell
Email: chaplaingate@yahoo.com
Web address: http://www.PrayInJesusName.org

July 25, 2008

FRONT ROYAL, Va., July 24 /Christian Newswire/ — Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute (PRI), says that America has a hidden problem of sex discrimination, but a form of discrimination that feminists refuse to address.

In PRI’s latest YouTube video, Mosher decries the practice, common in East and South Asian countries, of sex-selective abortion. According to the United Nations, this practice has already claimed the lives of over 100 million girls worldwide. The video goes on to cite a recent study published by the National Academy of Sciences, saying that many American groups, particularly those of Asian descent, have the same skewed birthrates as found in their country of origin. Many of the sexist customs and practices that have led to these skewed birthrates are being imported into the United States.

“In China, India, and other Asian countries, there is a strong preference for boys,” Mosher says. “This combination of a preference for boys and modern technology–the ultrasound machine–has proven deadly for millions upon millions of baby girls.” The video goes on to detail exactly how serious the problem is, and how it can only be explained by the selective abortion of baby girls.

“Where are the feminists when you need them?” asks Mosher. According to Mosher, the widespread slaughter of unborn girls has failed raise concerns in the feminist community. American feminists are so wedded to abortion-on-demand that they are unwilling to oppose any abortion, however egregious. This is true, he says, even when the practice involves the killing of hundreds of millions of girls for the sole reason that they are girls.

“I challenge the National Organization of Women,” says Mosher, “and other feminist groups, to join us in the battle to ban this terrible form of sex discrimination that is killing so many unborn baby girls. Their continued silence only facilitates the killing.”

The Population Research Institute (PRI) was founded in 1989 by Fr. Paul Marx, OSB, PhD and is dedicated to: (1) ending human rights abuses committed in the name of “family planning”, (2) opposing outdated social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of overpopulation, (3) informing the public about the social and economic benefits of moderate population growth, and (4) promoting pro- natal and pro-family attitudes and policies worldwide. Steven Mosher is the author of numerous books, including Population Control: Real Costs and Illusory Benefits

This report describes the persecution of Christians in terms of both the historical experience of Christians in Pakistan and of the draconian religious laws introduced in Pakistan through the 1980s and 1990s. It shows that under the military rule of President General Pervez Musharraf, after 1999, a number of attempts were made to reform these laws and improve the situation of Christians and other minorities in Pakistan, but that these have largely failed because of opposition from Islamist and conservative Islamic forces in Pakistan. The main findings of the report are:

Christians across Pakistan, numbering perhaps 10 million, are subject to violence, intimidation, torture, rape, false imprisonment, forced conversion, bonded labour, forced marriage, and child kidnapping. Christians have been forced from their homes and their places of worship have been desecrated or destroyed;
Christians in Pakistan are identified with the West and bear the brunt of the backlash against US and NATO military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
Christians have suffered for decades under draconian religious laws, particularly blasphemy laws , “Hudood” laws, and laws of evidence;
Attempts at reform under President General Pervez Musharraf have either failed or have been watered down because of opposition from Islamist and conservative Islamic forces in Pakistan;
Law enforcement and legal authorities in Pakistan do little to protect Christians;
The new civilian government of Pakistan has taken some significant steps to progress the rights and security of Christians in Pakistan, but face stern opposition;
Urgent changes are still needed to improve the situation of Christians and other minorities in Pakistan: (a) repeal or amend the religious laws; (b) provide proportionate political representation for Christians in all national and provincial political assemblies; (c) guarantee the rights, interests and property of Christians; and (d) provide restitution for Christians who have suffered under draconian religious laws;
The treatment of Pakistan’s Christian minority is a litmus test of Pakistan’s claims to modernity and pluralism.

June 4, 2008

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., June 4 /Christian Newswire/ — Christian Freedom International, a Michigan-based organization that assists persecuted Christians around the world, is expressing outrage over a disturbing incident of persecution that has taken place right in its own backyard.

Jerry Marszalek, a longtime wrestling coach at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan, was recently released from his job amid complaints that Trey Hancock, his former coaching assistant and an evangelical Christian pastor, was using his position on the wrestling team to convert Muslim students into Christians. Imad Fadlallah, the first Muslim principal at Fordson-a high school where over 80% of its students are of Arab descent-made the decision not to renew Marszalek’s contract, claiming that he had the right to terminate his service because Marszalek was an “at-will” employee. The announcement was praised by hundreds of Muslim parents, students and religious leaders, who attended a school board meeting in unanimous support of the decision.

Hancock denies the allegations, insisting that he never witnessed or preached while coaching at Fordson. Although Hancock was known to have baptized a Muslim student from Dearborn in 2005, it was an activity that was not performed during school hours. After the 2005 baptism, Marszalek was warned by Fadlallah to keep Hancock away from all wrestling practices and events, despite the fact that Hancock’s son, Paul, was a member of the team.

According to a report by the American Psychiatric Association, Michigan is home to the second largest Muslim community outside of the Middle East; according to the same report, Islam is currently the fastest-growing religion in the United States. In 2005, the Islamic Center of America constructed a $14 million, gold-domed mosque in Dearborn, making the 70,000 square-foot facility the spiritual home for thousands of Detroit’s Muslim residents and the largest mosque in the United States.

The controversial incident at Fordson reflects a growing hostility towards Christianity throughout the country, and not just among members of the growing Muslim population. In recent years, Christian persecution has taken on a variety of forms in the United States-from a rising intolerance for proselytizing to the eradication of nearly all historical Christian references in public school textbooks. Although the magnitude of persecution in the U.S. is hardly comparable with that typically experienced in countries such as China, Burma, and Sudan-where persecution is so severe that thousands of believers are often martyred for their faith-the anti-Christian perception in American schools, media, and mainstream society is proving to be a cause for concern for Christians in the United States.

April 1, 2008

From the site listed above.

I was raised a catholic. I thought I was a Christian…

My Story
I was born to faithful catholic parents and was raised in the catholic church. At a very young age, I wanted to do more than sit in a pew at mass, so I volunteered to be an altar boy and was trained to serve on the altar. In time, I was elevated to the leadership position, overseeing all of the altar servers in my parish. I coordinated the schedule and the activities of the altar servers, and took part in other committees, groups, and functions of the church, including adult education.

I also became a sunday school teacher, preparing young catholic children for their first communion. Once I reached my twenties I became a lector, and each weekend I stood on the altar and read to those in attendance at mass. In time, I was recruited by the head of the church’s RCIA program to become an instructor, teaching converts who desired to become a part of the catholic church.

After 44 years a catholic, I knew in my heart that I was a Christian. I went to church, I followed the catholic doctrine, I knew for sure that I was saved.

How could I have been so wrong?

One day I was watching television, and while changing channels I happened upon a local program that featured a preacher who said he had a special message for all the catholics who were watching. He said that many teachings of the catholic church are contrary to the Bible itself. He declared that catholics who followed the doctrines of the church were being misled and most likely had not received the gift of eternal salvation.

I found that a tough pill to swallow, so the next day I decided to speak to my priest about what I’d heard.

“Father, why did this TV preacher say that the teachings of the catholic church are different from what is in the Bible?” I asked.

April 1, 2008

“I am not willing to go one inch down the road that ends with the media publishing only that which someone thinks Muhammad would approve.” — Gary McCullough, Director, Christian Newswire
MEDIA ADVISORY, Sept. 17 /Standard Newswire/ — Last week Al-Qaida offered a reward of $100,000 for the murder Lars Vilks. A reward was also offered for the murder of the chief editor of the Swedish newspaper, Nerikes Allehanda.

Christian Newswire took a similar stand when they published controversial cartoons in February of 2006.

Director of the Christian Newswire, Gary McCullough comments:

“As was the case with the ‘Jyllands-Posten’ Muhammad cartoons controversy, many are reporting on the cartoons without having access to them. So once again our primary reason for publishing the cartoons is to provide a needed service to reporters. I also believe there is a need to stand against such intimidation.

“The world’s news media are facing the same decision many nations face in dealing with terrorists. Do we acquiesce to unjust demands under the threat of violence even though history clearly demonstrates that by doing so we encourage future acts of violence?

“So as I did in 2006, I challenge newspaper publishers and the broadcasters who claim any freedom to display newsworthy items; it is not too late to send a clear message. I ask you to publish the controversial cartoons to say that we will not be censored by threats of violence.

“The alternative will not be peace. The alterative will be increased violence to censor the media. You must decide if you will negotiate away a foundational principle. If you run from this battle you will embolden those who use terror to restrict what you publish.

“I am not willing to go one inch down the road that ends with the media publishing only that which someone thinks Muhammad would approve